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Sab669 posted:Yea I'm sure it's a total buzzkill when you have people who don't even know how to tie a figure 8, or just some general lovely people. Are you me fellow cubicle drone? I have been feeling the same way for quite awhile. This artificial office light is frying the beautiful feral parts of my brain I gain when I’m out on a trail in the mountains. My cube is decorated with outdoor stuff to remind that I’m working to be able to do all those things, but lately it’s not enough. Like you, I just want to be free somewhere else. I really need to move out west where I can hike on a more frequent basis and join a trail crew on weekends. I have a whole life based around hiking and backpacking I want to plan in my head, I just don’t know how to get there.
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Jan 8, 2024 15:28
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Yea, flat-rear end Western New York is a bummer for me. I've been trying to find a fully remote gig so I can just relocate where ever I want but there's so much competition - especially so as companies are starting to really beat that "Return to Office" drum.
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Jan 8, 2024 15:40
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The truth is that any outdoor career eventually puts you back in the office, because that's where the promotions and money lead. The fun jobs rarely pay well. But at least in many of those careers you still get the occasional field day. I trained to work outdoors and accidentally did a speed-run right back into the office. It is nice working on projects that at least relate to the outdoors though.
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Jan 8, 2024 15:41
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Planning on a hiking/backpacking trip in Colorado this summer. Flying to Denver and bookending there, but other than that the possibilities are wide open. We're game to spend most of it living out of our bags but no stranger to car camping. Lots of guides to hiking in Colorado but I'd like to get the Goon take, rather than cramming myself as #N following one of the first few SEO-optimized itineraries. Any key places to visit/avoid?
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Jan 8, 2024 15:42
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the further you get from denver, the fewer people you'll see. colorado is all pretty nuts, relatively speaking, in the summer. plenty of people can speak to it with more intelligence than i can, but places like rmnp/sawatch/collegiates can get crowded. as in, on the weekends you might be screwed finding a place to car camp. it's a long drive, but the only place i've gone to TWICE in colorado is the highland mary lakes area just east of silverton. high alpine meadows and vistas forever. usually only a dozen cars or so at the trailhead. if you don't want to go as far, but do want to miss some crowds, the never summers are right outside rmnp but aren't as officially developed, and so get skipped a lot by people who don't know. moose city, too. i, and others, could go on forever i'm sure.
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Jan 8, 2024 15:53
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Sab669 posted:Yea, flat-rear end Western New York is a bummer for me. I've been trying to find a fully remote gig so I can just relocate where ever I want but there's so much competition - especially so as companies are starting to really beat that "Return to Office" drum. I lived in Illinois for 20 years, and came there from the rocky mountains. The flatness is a bummer early on but if you put the effort in to find spots there is actually a lot of beauty out there. Obviously it's not craggy granite peaks so it'll never be featured at your windows login screen but actually being out in it is just as enjoyable. The biggest problem is population and public land, the east is dominated by farmland so you're going to have to drive a bit further to find something. JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:the further you get from denver, the fewer people you'll see. colorado is all pretty nuts, relatively speaking, in the summer. plenty of people can speak to it with more intelligence than i can, but places like rmnp/sawatch/collegiates can get crowded. as in, on the weekends you might be screwed finding a place to car camp. Even during the winter RMNP gets annoyingly crowded, especially on long weekends. Silverton is definitely less crowded than the Denver hotspots but it's still going to have a lot of people, that whole chunk from Ridgway to Durango is a 4x4 mecca. Last Dollar Road is kind of rough, no rock crawling but it has some sharp rock. But there's dispersed camping near Last Dollar peak which is :chefkiss: There are however excellent quiet places to go within 2 hours of Denver. Goose Creek Campground and environs is one of my favorite places. Lots of dispersed campsites and there will be people around but you'll only see them along the road. Accessible by all cars (city cars may have to dodge some bumps but they'll be fine) and two trailheads lead into the Lost Creek wilderness. A little further out is South Park, the chunk of NF near Dicks Peak is another favorite of mine. The road west of Fairplay towards Mt. Sherman is very nice too. East of the front range Dawson Butte and Sandstone Ranch open spaces are great spots for a chill day hike.
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Jan 8, 2024 16:20
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I'm always happy that while Michigan is flat as gently caress, the Great Lakes do make up for it and the northern parts of the state have plenty of real forest and not just isolated woodlands in between farms. I will always recommend Isle Royale for a unique hiking/camping/backpacking experience. Its not the mountains sure, but its a very cool and unique place.
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Jan 8, 2024 16:24
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There are certainly some cool trails within 60 - 180 minutes of me; I think what bums me out is there's just nothing challenging. And the options for things that aren't "just walking in the woods" are fairly limited so I get tired of the same couple destinations all the time. WoodrowSkillson posted:I'm always happy that while Michigan is flat as gently caress, the Great Lakes do make up for it and the northern parts of the state have plenty of real forest and not just isolated woodlands in between farms. I will always recommend Isle Royale for a unique hiking/camping/backpacking experience. Its not the mountains sure, but its a very cool and unique place. I've never been big on water, boats, swimming etc. so being on Lake Erie hasn't really enticed me at all 
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Jan 8, 2024 16:32
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You just gotta do the UP and Minnesota north shore in winter sometime. No boats required and the ice formations after storms come through is fuckin amazing. I assume Erie gets some of that weather too I've just never been.
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Jan 8, 2024 16:35
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Winter has been quite disappointing the last few years. We got 2 big storms last season on Thanksgiving + Christmas and I was out of town for both, by the time I came back everything melted and we barely got anything the rest of the season. Although I definitely lucked out missing that Christmas storm 
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Jan 8, 2024 16:50
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Sab669 posted:There are certainly some cool trails within 60 - 180 minutes of me; Yeah in SE MI its basically the same situation, I have been crossing off every state park and recreation area wherever I live and its mostly interchangeable outside of finding neat little spots to read or relax in. The great lakes are more for weekend trips and such since its a few hours to get anywhere interesting from Detroit. And the UP is a 6 to 12 hour drive depending on which end you are visiting. As for Lake Erie yeah the one that has caught on fire and has multiple major cities on it with limited natural shoreline left is indeed not as cool. Superior and northern Lake Michigan/Huron have hundreds/thousands of miles of coastline that is undeveloped or only has spaced out houses on it where you can walk for hours and barely see anyone else. And with the lack of major cities there are still plenty of natural areas and forests along them too. And that's not even mentioning the canadian side that has even more cool stuff like the 20,000 islands region in Lake Huron. I've hiked and camped in all of these places, pictures not mine as I'm not gonna go pull them off google at the moment. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Superior  Manitou Islands in Lake Michigan   Old Growth Forest in Porcupine Mountains State Wilderness along Lake Superior  And then Isle Royale is a full fledged national park where you can hike for days and see only a few other people. The solitude and peace is awesome, and the moments where you can get a good vista along the Greenstone Trail and see the lake in multiple directions at once is truly unique and cool.  Sorry for michiganposting its winter and I already am missing warm weather.
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Jan 8, 2024 17:47
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I feel obligated to represent the winter scenery Tettegouche state park:    Lots of stacks up by Grand Marias:  And cool ice at Duluth: 
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Jan 8, 2024 18:07
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Quit telling people about northern MN! We'll have more people moving up here! I feel so lucky to live in Duluth. This winter has sucked, but normally its a winter paradise. EDIT: Here was me testing out my new winter tarp on my last trip on the Superior Hiking Trail last winter:  We've barely gotten any snow this year 
BaseballPCHiker fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Jan 8, 2024 |
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Jan 8, 2024 18:08
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I feel so lucky to live in Duluth. This winter has sucked, but normally its a winter paradise. You can always head to Finland, which apparently still gets Proper Winter.
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Jan 8, 2024 18:32
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Fitzy Fitz posted:That sounds good. Bring mosquito repellent (I like picaridin wipes) and/or permethrin-treated clothes. Protect your skin from the sun; it's really strong there. Fast-drying clothes and shoes are best because they'll never dry out otherwise. Have a plan for carrying water. I'm bringing a couple 1L plastic bottles to refill for water. I know to only drink bottled water so I plan to pick up some 1 gallon jugs.
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Jan 8, 2024 18:48
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Josh Lyman posted:I'll see if TSA lets me through with my aerosol cans of deet bug spray and sunscreen. If they confiscate it, I'll buy some once I land in Costa Rica. I'm pretty sure aerosol is a no go even in checked luggage. There are plenty of non aerosol versions of both things though (pump spray for bug, cream for sunscreen)
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Jan 8, 2024 18:53
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I love these things: https://natrapel.com/products/natrapel-picaridin-tick-insect-repellent-wipes They weigh nothing and take up little space, and you can bring only as much as you need. I have a couple stashed in all of my bags so that I always have insect repellant without having to think about it.
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Jan 8, 2024 19:01
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Sab669 posted:Yea I'm sure it's a total buzzkill when you have people who don't even know how to tie a figure 8, or just some general lovely people. There’s generally plenty of advice in the IT thread on how to get started working in cloud related fields that are mostly remote and paying pretty good. No idea what your job situation or career is but as they say it’s never too late to start.
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Jan 8, 2024 19:28
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Not a Children posted:Planning on a hiking/backpacking trip in Colorado this summer. Flying to Denver and bookending there, but other than that the possibilities are wide open. We're game to spend most of it living out of our bags but no stranger to car camping. Lots of guides to hiking in Colorado but I'd like to get the Goon take, rather than cramming myself as #N following one of the first few SEO-optimized itineraries. Any key places to visit/avoid? If you have time the Wind River Range in Wyoming is another extraordinary place to go backpacking. A couple years ago I did a lengthy day hike but if I was into backpacking it’d be my number one choice
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Jan 8, 2024 19:37
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Hotel Kpro posted:There’s generally plenty of advice in the IT thread on how to get started working in cloud related fields that are mostly remote and paying pretty good. No idea what your job situation or career is but as they say it’s never too late to start. Yea I'm a programmer with 10+ years of experience and have poked my head in there a few times over the years. If anyone should be able to find that sort of work, it should be me but no such luck. Honestly I think it's largely more an issue of my struggles getting a handle on my ADHD, but that's a topic for another thread
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Jan 8, 2024 19:40
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Fitzy Fitz posted:I love these things: https://natrapel.com/products/natrapel-picaridin-tick-insect-repellent-wipes  TSA liquid restrictions are so dumb.alnilam posted:I'm pretty sure aerosol is a no go even in checked luggage. There are plenty of non aerosol versions of both things though (pump spray for bug, cream for sunscreen)
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Jan 8, 2024 20:02
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Treat your clothes ahead of time with premithrin as well! That goes a long way for me. Between that and picaridin lotion I almost never end up needing DEET bug spray.
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Jan 8, 2024 20:08
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Josh Lyman posted:My preference is always for spray because the lotion tends to get into my eyes but I guess I'll just have to deal with it. General PSA to always close your eyes and hold your breath when using aerosol sunscreen. And don't spray your face, spray your hand and wipe it on your face (the directions say this but hardly anyone listens).
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Jan 8, 2024 20:09
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Treat your clothes ahead of time with premithrin as well! That goes a long way for me. alnilam posted:General PSA to always close your eyes and hold your breath when using aerosol sunscreen. And don't spray your face, spray your hand and wipe it on your face (the directions say this but hardly anyone listens).
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Jan 9, 2024 01:08
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Josh Lyman posted:I have cats so premithrin seems like a bad idea. Regardless, I’m flying out Thursday so the picaridin lotion I ordered from Amazon will have to do. (Apparently Target doesn’t carry it???) Once your clothes are treated and dried they are safe. But you need to be extra careful before and after treatment. I do it all out side and immediately change clothes and shower after to avoid anything getting near my cat. I also keep my backpacking clothes up in a high shelf where my cat can't get to them out of an abundance of caution though once they are dry its not a big concern. WoodrowSkillson fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Jan 9, 2024 |
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Jan 9, 2024 17:31
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Josh Lyman posted:I have cats so premithrin seems like a bad idea. Regardless, I’m flying out Thursday so the picaridin lotion I ordered from Amazon will have to do. (Apparently Target doesn’t carry it???) I lived with cats for years and also used permethrin spray with no issues. I sprayed everything on a line outside and let it thoroughly dry before bringing it back in (I do this anyway now as well, even though I no longer have a cat).
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Jan 9, 2024 17:55
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armorer posted:I lived with cats for years and also used permethrin spray with no issues. I sprayed everything on a line outside and let it thoroughly dry before bringing it back in (I do this anyway now as well, even though I no longer have a cat). Yeah I've done this for a decade
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Jan 9, 2024 18:30
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Aaah this isn't the mtb thread, plz ignore
Guest2553 fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Jan 12, 2024 |
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Jan 12, 2024 23:31
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It rained a ton this week, but I want to go hiking this weekend. 
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Jan 13, 2024 04:28
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it’s cold as hell and I’m going to hike to a big rock that overlooks a lake and eat pop tarts
Ehud fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Jan 21, 2024 |
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Jan 20, 2024 12:10
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It's modestly cold and I'm gonna go snowshoeing. I was going to bring a sandwich for lunch but I saw mold on the bread so now I'm bringing a leftover hotdog and some fried potatoes. Also I'm 30 minutes late already and am not sure there will be room at the trailhead.
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Jan 20, 2024 14:17
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Snow shoeing successful, the hot dog was a horrible lunch though.   Like a major dumbshit I forgot sunglasses and gave myself some minor snow blindness, had a 15 minute period where everything had a purple cast. Oops.
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Jan 21, 2024 01:14
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xzzy posted:Snow shoeing successful, the hot dog was a horrible lunch though. Where's this? It's not Chicago. Did you move?
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Jan 21, 2024 02:06
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Yeah, we moved to Colorado last January.. finally. Been waiting to get out west for 10+ years. That's in the mt
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Jan 21, 2024 02:21
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That place was a zoo in the warmer seasons. Did you see many people out?
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Jan 21, 2024 04:50
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Nope, it does get overcrowded in summer but this time the parking was only half full. I guess snow is a deterrent.
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Jan 21, 2024 05:50
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xzzy posted:Yeah, we moved to Colorado last January.. finally. Been waiting to get out west for 10+ years. Please tell me your secrets for making it out of flatlandia. My goal is to make it to Washington hopefully, I cannot live in places where mountains don’t exist anymore. It’s getting too expensive to travel to all the cool places. Looks so nice out in Colorado!
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Jan 21, 2024 06:11
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The snow certainly deters me. My current strategy is to show up early and hike from somewhat further than most people, or do hikes in the fall.
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Jan 21, 2024 17:56
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People can keep the mountain west. It's a pricey tinderbox just waiting to go up in flames. That said I enjoy visiting my friends out there once a year. If you're in the Chicago area check out northern Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota. Lots to do there as well.
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Jan 21, 2024 18:27
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liz posted:Please tell me your secrets for making it out of flatlandia. Mostly just wait a long time for a dream job to open up. Then nail the interviews (my wife did this, not me). BaseballPCHiker posted:People can keep the mountain west. It's a pricey tinderbox just waiting to go up in flames. BWCA has had some nasty fires the past 20 years too and it's only going to get worse as time passes. We're all in this shitshow together. (but yes the northern midwest has some amazing outdoors, Duluth was on our shortlist of destinations. Just depended on who was hiring)
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Jan 21, 2024 18:39
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